"Restoring" a stainless steel framed aquarium

[myswtsins]

So I have had these tanks (a 10g & a 29g long) sitting around waiting for me to decide whether I was gonna take em apart or not. Well I got bored and started working on them! The main reason I was held back was that I couldn't find something to adheres to glass & slate that was aquarium safe. Also the fact that as I cleaned it up the metal is fairly pitted & VERY scratched. It is structurally stable just not very pretty.

Right now my main focus is on the 29g (leaks) because I will need it for a grow out tank for Mbuna fry soon. The 10g (broken pane) will be taken care of later.

Obviously they will not be restored to their original state because I do not have access to the tar substance that was used in the 60's, so black silicone will be used. (Note to self....Order black silicone!)

I will be trying to keep the original slate in the tank though. Since we have established that silicone does NOT bond to slate (at least not for very long) I will be inserting a piece of glass right on top of the slate. This should create a seal to the side glass but still leave the slate visible. I have not seen this done yet but I have high hopes.

I will be replacing all the glass because it is very scratched and the one piece I removed has a small crack & chip in it. Glass is cheap enough!

Ok, so far I have only gotten 1 pane of glass out using a blow dryer to loosen the glass from the tar substance. Tomorrow my heat gun arrives so more work will be done then. :devil: Let me tell you that glass is fit in there TIGHTLY!

Here are a couple pics to keep you entertained while I wait for my heat gun.

 

[milesalive]

The stainless steal look is retro I love it

 

[myswtsins]

I forgot to mention, comments or suggestions are also welcomed!

I also wanted to note that in the 4th picture you can see some of the different textures of the tar. Where it is really black is as smooth as glass! The top bits just flaked right off & the stuff all the way on the bottom is still tacky. :huh: I found it interesting but little things amuse me. :silly:

 

[myswtsins]

The stainless steal look is retro I love it

And that is the ONLY reason I am going through the hassle of restoring it. (That is not true though, I love projects)

 

[rocker92]

progress!!! i think the glass idea for the bottom is a great one!

 

[247Plants]

If you really want the slate in there, I would use glass all the way around and then put the slate on top of the bottom piece of glass.

Also that frame doesnt look to be in too bad of condition from the pics.

 

[BettaFishMommy]

If you really want the slate in there, I would use glass all the way around and then put the slate on top of the bottom piece of glass.

i might be concerned with mulm and waste getting in under the slate if it was put in the tank like this.


and i can't believe they used tar-like sealant back then! just imagine the toxins that could have been in it.......

 

[myswtsins]

Thanks for your comments!

Since I can not seal around the slate I would also be concerned about waste getting under the slate. I would rather have the slate exposed but it didn't seem to be the safe choice.

The frame doesn't look too bad from a distance but it has scratches that go the entire length of every piece of trim. The bottom on one side is so scratched I couldn't even get it to shine up. Once I put some power tools to it things should get better.

 

[CichlidWrangler]

DO NOT.. I repeat DO NOT use black silicone on the bottom panel

the bottom of these tanks is made of slate.. and silicone WILL NOT stick to slate

if you need to reseal the bottom.. you have to put a piece of glass on top of the slate and then silicone that into place

I learned this the hard way... it will appear to seal.. untill 2 days later and it falls apart causing disaster

 

[CichlidWrangler]

Note To Self:

Read entire post before putting in my two cents... lol

you already said everything that I warned you about.. I just failed to read